The Canadian MRO entrepreneur

摘要

Luc Filiatreault is no stranger to empire-building. During the1980s and 1990s, his high-technology company grew to 16 offices worldwide and, by 1999, he had sold up and was looking for new horizons. His gaze settled on the aviation industry and, not wishing to engage in consumer-oriented products, he focused on the business-to-business world of aircraft maintenance, repair and overhaul (MRO). Filiatreault has no MRO background, although as a former navigator in the military and a private jet pilot he is no stranger to aerospace. However, whichever way you cut it, the stakes are pretty high for a new entrant to aerospace MRO at this melancholic time. It was not until desire and opportunity met that the prospects for a new North America-based MRO, specializing in narrowbody heavy maintenance, could start to take shape. Filiatreault's vision crystallized when the hangars formerly owned and operated by Conifair were put up for sale. Emerging from five competing bids as the winner, NordTech Aerospace acquired the facilities situated at Jean Lesage International Airport in Quebec, Canada, that had sat dormant since November 2001. There were a number of attractions to the site that sparked Filiatreault's interest. The airport offers a 9,000ft runway that can handle widebody as well as narrowbody aircraft. The hangar section of the site comprises two bays, each capable of accommodating two narrowbody aircraft (such as the 737, DC-9 or A320) or one long narrowbody (such as the 727-100/-200 or the MD-80). With his eye focused on the narrowbody heavy maintenance market initially, the Jean Lesage Airport site was ideal.